


Learning Curve

by cherrybina



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:31:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybina/pseuds/cherrybina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin are hot for each other but completely clueless about gay sex. Modern AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning Curve

Arthur comes to university expecting to continue his trend of pretty girl after pretty girl, but somehow before he realises what's happening, he ends up kissing Merlin in the alley behind the science building.

He tries to deny it at first, ignoring Merlin for a good month after that, but Merlin is annoyingly persistent, and finally one day Arthur lets him into his dingy flat and they end up tangled in the sheets of his bed, kissing until they're both breathless and flushed.

"You're gay, Arthur," Merlin says after Arthur expresses his utter shock at how this happened.

"Don't act like you're some kind of expert here. You told me you never even kissed a guy before me."

"Yeah, well at least I _knew_."

Arthur thinks that if it weren't for the fact that he likes Merlin's mouth so much, he would probably throw him out and never speak to him again.

***

After two weeks of hot and dirty make out sessions, the two of them crowded on Arthur's lumpy mattress, Arthur decides it just might be time to take the next step. He's pretty sure that Merlin is on the same wavelength, judging by the way his erection is pressing into Arthur's thigh as he ruts against him, but the problem is that neither one of them has any experience with whatever it is that is supposed to come next. Arthur has plenty of ideas of what he wants to do, but he can't quite work out the logistics in his head.

"So," Arthur says, as he pulls away from where Merlin is lying boneless on the sheets.

This is where they usually stop, with Merlin running out babbling excuses about studying and early classes the next morning, and Arthur barely managing to wait until the door is closed behind him before furiously wanking with his trousers around his knees.

"So," Merlin answers, and Arthur can't help but notice how his shirt is rucked up exposing the pale skin of his belly, and the way his lips are swollen, the area around his mouth all red from Arthur's stubble.

"What next?" Arthur asks.

Merlin shrugs. "Do you even know what you want?"

"I'll have you know I've done lots of stuff."

"Yeah, with _girls_."

Arthur glares at him. "I've never had a single complaint."

"Well I've done lots of stuff, too."

Arthur looks at him sceptically.

"Okay maybe not _lots_, but still. Some stuff. Hey, at least I didn't spend the past two years shoving my hand down different girls' knickers just so I could stay in denial about what I really wanted."

"Can we please stop talking about girls and their knickers?"

"Fine."

Arthur sighs. "I suppose all of our collective experience isn't going to do us a lot of good, is it?"

"This can't be that hard to figure out. We're working with the same… equipment here. That should be an advantage, yeah?"

Arthur considers this for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Well, all right then."

"You first," Arthur says.

Merlin flushes bright pink from the roots of his hair all the way down to where his skin disappears from view under the collar of his t-shirt, and Arthur is forced to admit that it's really rather attractive.

"Fine," Merlin says and sits back, pulling his shirt over his head.

Arthur stays unmoving where he sits on his knees, taking in the pale skin and the long line of Merlin's chest. Merlin meets his gaze for a moment before moving his hands to the button on his jeans.

It's not like Arthur has never seen a naked man before. He's spent enough time in locker rooms after football matches, and then of course there's porn, which okay yeah, there was always at least one girl in the movie, too, but he's always at least looked at the guys, even if just for comparison's sake. Logically, he knows what to expect, but when he's confronted with Merlin, naked and very obviously aroused in his bed just inches from him, he freezes.

"All right?" Merlin asks him.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," Merlin says, and Arthur has to admit that despite his fear, it's pretty hot to see Merlin like this — naked and ready for whatever it is that's supposed to come next.

Arthur shuffles forward on the bed and leans into Merlin. He wraps his arms around the back of his neck and keeps them there, very safely above the waist. Kissing Merlin is nice and familiar, and he likes that he knows this. He likes that he can tilt his head just so and do that thing with his tongue that makes Merlin gasp into his mouth and kiss him back harder every single time.

After a few minutes he grows bolder and he slowly slips one hand between them, coming to rest low on Merlin's belly.

Merlin pulls back and breathes heavily against Arthur's mouth. "Yeah, Arthur, do it. Touch me."

It's ridiculously hot to have Merlin talking to him like that, hard and needy against him, and that alone is enough to erase the last of his nervousness. With a deep breath, Arthur slides his hand down the rest of the way and wraps it around his cock.

Arthur looks down and sees the head of Merlin's cock peeking out from his fist, glistening with a few drops of moisture, and in a moment of panic he squeezes hard.

"Easy," Merlin says with a hiss, his mouth curling down in a grimace.

"Sorry," Arthur replies, and loosens his fingers.

He gives an experimental tug, and that seems better because Merlin's face relaxes and he lets out a soft sound that doesn't sound like pain. After that he just tries to do what he does to himself, but the angle is all wrong, and without the constant feedback, he can't seem to get the pressure just right. After several very long minutes during which there is a lot of uncomfortable shifting and frustrated sighing on both of their parts, Merlin finally groans and comes all over Arthur's hand.

Arthur stills his hand — his hand covered with Merlin's _come_, and in a moment of what can only be ascribed to utter stupidity, he reaches down and wipes it on Merlin's bare thigh.

"Thanks," Merlin says with obvious irritation.

It doesn't get much better after that. Merlin wants to reciprocate, but Arthur's not sure he's quite ready to get naked, plus he's still feeling incredibly foolish for his incompetence at getting Merlin off.

Despite all of Arthur's optimistic plans, at the end of the night, he finds himself once again alone with a desperate hand down his trousers.

***

A few nights later, they're back in Arthur's bed, kissing while still fully dressed.

"D'you wanna try again?" Merlin asks eventually. "I mean, maybe we could try something else?"

Arthur sighs. "If we can't figure that out, what makes you think we'll be any good at the rest of it? I mean, you'd think that would be the easiest thing of all seeing as how that's something we've both done plenty of times before. To ourselves, anyway."

Merlin's expression brightens. "You're right," he says with a grin.

And so that's how Arthur ends up flat on his back with his trousers on the floor, and Merlin kneeling beside him. Merlin's stripped down to nothing but his boxers, and Arthur can see the way his cock is straining tightly against the thin cotton.

Arthur still has his doubts, but then Merlin leans over him and whispers, "Touch yourself."

Arthur wraps his hand around his cock and starts to stroke. It's a little different with Merlin watching him intently, but still, he knows this. He knows just how tight to grip and how fast to move his hand. After a moment, Merlin eases his boxers down and grabs his own cock, reaching his free hand out to steady himself on Arthur's chest. Arthur can't decide if he wants to watch they way Merlin's cock slides through his fist, or if he'd rather see Merlin's eyelids flutter as his head falls back, exposing his long neck.

It's not perfect but it's the best they've managed so far. Arthur comes first and he stays there, sticky and uncomfortable, until Merlin finally finishes. Some of Merlin's come gets on Arthur, and it's a little bit weird but not all that unpleasant.

"Okay, so that was a success," Merlin says breathlessly after he's flopped back on the pillows beside Arthur.

"D'you think — I mean, does that count? Seeing as how we didn't even touch each other," Arthur asks.

"Oh, it counts."

***

After that, things get noticeably better. Eventually they move from getting themselves off together to getting each other off, and of course then they both decide that they want to try more.

One night, after a long debate over who gets the first blowjob that ultimately ends in a coin toss, Merlin slides his mouth tentatively down Arthur's cock.

And yeah, this isn't the first time Arthur's had his cock in someone's mouth, but whether it's the whole gay thing or just that this is Merlin, it's never been quite like this. Without thinking, he thrusts his hips up hard, trying to get more of that tight, wet heat.

Merlin gags and chokes, and when his teeth scrape painfully along Arthur's cock, Arthur grabs him by the back of the hair and pulls.

"Jesus, Arthur," Merlin gasps.

"You — you _bit_ me!"

"For fuck's sake, I didn't do it on purpose! It was self defence against you trying to choke me."

They yell for a bit, each blaming the other, but a few nights later, they come to the mutual conclusion that they're just not willing to give up on blowjobs. They try again, and again and again. It's not great at first, but certainly better than the first time.

One night when Arthur slides down Merlin's body and takes him in his mouth, it's almost just right. Yeah, Merlin's hands grip his hair a little too hard, and he knows Merlin wants him to take more of him down his throat, but he finds a rhythm that feels good. He's surprised to find that he likes the smell of Merlin's skin and the way he tastes on his tongue, and when he lets Merlin come in his mouth, he decides that the smile he gets in return is worth it.

***

"You know," Merlin says one day when they're lying naked in the sheets.

Arthur is still reeling after what he can only describe as a really amazing blowjob — so amazing that he doesn't care how many false starts it took to get them here.

"What?" he says, lazily turning to face Merlin.

"There are… other things we can do."

Arthur blushes. "Yeah, I know."

"What do you think?" Merlin asks, and he looks at Arthur shyly. "I mean, is that something that you want to try?"

Arthur considers this for a moment. It's not like he hasn't thought about it. He's thought about it a lot, actually, but it's still a little daunting.

"We need, like, stuff for that."

Merlin smiles. "Yeah, _stuff_. Condoms. And lube, obviously."

"I'm not buying lube," Arthur says adamantly.

"Why not?" Merlin asks.

"Because — because it's embarrassing."

"But you'll buy condoms?"

"Well, yeah. Condoms say 'I'm getting laid.' Lube says, 'I'm spending the night alone with a porno and a box of tissues.'"

"But Arthur, the lube is so you can _get laid_," Merlin says reasonably.

"But the person at the shop doesn't know that."

"Fine, we'll go together. Then they'll see condoms and lube and _me_, and they'll know you're not spending the night alone having a wank. Tonight after class, yeah?"

"Yeah, all right," Arthur says weakly, unable to find a flaw in Merlin's logic.

***

It's not Arthur's first time in a sex shop, but it is his first time with this particular agenda. The walls are lined with DVDs, and the interior is filled with shelves of some things that make Arthur blush, and others that he can't even identify. Merlin nods in the direction of the sign that says 'GAY' in big block letters.

"What, do we have to get special _gay lube_?" Arthur whispers, horrified.

"Sometimes you are such an idiot, Arthur," Merlin says cheerfully, and grabs Arthur by the hand, dragging him toward the opposite end of the shop.

Arthur has a moment of panic when he realises he's holding Merlin's hand standing in front of a floor to ceiling display of gay porn, but Merlin seems totally unfazed and Arthur is determined not to be the one to freak out.

"I thought we could get a movie. You know, to give us some ideas." Arthur just looks at him blankly, and Merlin rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll just pick something."

Merlin spends a long time mulling over the selection, reading the titles with interest and carefully examining the pictures on the back before finally choosing one. After that, Merlin grabs a box of condoms and they find their way to the lube section. Arthur never realised just how many different kinds there are, but the display consists of several shelves filled with a vast array of bottles and tubes.

"Which one should we get?" Merlin asks.

"I don't care," Arthur grits.

Merlin finally decides on a rather plain looking bottle, and Arthur is just grateful that he didn't pick the giant tub labelled 'Butt Wax'.

"Here, hold this," Merlin says, handing everything to Arthur.

Arthur takes it automatically. "Are we done?"

"I am," Merlin says with a grin, stepping away.

"What are you doing?" Arthur hisses.

"I'll see you outside, yeah?" And with that, he turns and walks away toward the exit.

Arthur stands there for a moment, debating his options. He could just drop everything and leave, but that seems like the path least likely to end with Merlin naked in his bed, and he really, _really_ wants that. With a deep breath, he steels himself. This can't be that bad. Lots of people have done this.

He plunks the merchandise on the counter, trying his best to look nonchalant, but the man at the register barely looks at him as he rings him up and places his purchases in a plain brown paper bag.

"You little shit," he says when he finds Merlin in the parking lot a few minutes later.

"I did it for your own good."

"Yeah, well just for that, I get to decide who does what with the _stuff_," he says, holding up the bag triumphantly.

Merlin's face drops. "Wait, what. Arthur, wait. We never agreed to that!"

Arthur just grins and grabs Merlin by the jacket, pulling him close. "What are you afraid of?" he asks, and then kisses him there in front of the shop, right where anyone can see.

***

 

The first time they make use of the condoms and lube it's not great for either of them. They're somehow both too afraid and too confident at the same time, but no one gets hurt or storms out, and Arthur thinks it could have gone a lot worse.

Eventually they get the hang of it. There's plenty of porn for inspiration, and then Merlin has the brilliant idea of turning to the internet for help. Arthur convinces him that they should be drunk for that, since there's no way he's reading some how-to sex guide with photographic illustrations while sober, so they don't learn a whole lot that night and later they pass out in bed fully dressed, but after enough porn and their own curiosity, with the help lots and lots of lube, they figure it out. And then it gets good. It gets _really_ good.

***

One day, several months later, Merlin presses a quick kiss to Arthur's lips as he heads out the door.

"We're out of lube. Pick some up on your way home, yeah?"

Arthur goes to the shop and buys lube — just lube, nothing else, not really caring what anyone at the shop thinks.

And when he gets home, he hands the bag to Merlin and kisses him soundly, before stretching out on the bed and letting Merlin do whatever he wants. Arthur knows that whatever Merlin decides to do, it's going to be amazing.


End file.
